About
the Author:

Shara Rendell-Smock has written more than
twenty computer software manuals, numerous newspaper
articles, including a monthly health column for The
Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

She's the author of two books of non-fiction: Getting
Hooked: Fiction's Opening Sentences 1950's- 1990's and Living With Big Cats: The Story of Jungle Larry,
Safari Jane, and David Tetzlaff For ordering information, click here.

To read more about these books, participate in an
ongoing joke contest, surf on over to www.rendell-smock.com .
The author currently lives on Florida's Space Coast.

Practical Ways to Overcome Sleep
Disorders - Part 3

There are a lot
of strategies that can help
you get a good night's rest on a consistent basis.
Continuing from last week's column, here are some more
good tips:

It helps some people to have warm milk, or take
a calcium supplement before bedtime. (Some people
even swear by bananas!)

Never underestimate the power of a warm bath to
help you relax at night.

If it takes you 40 minutes to get to sleep, try
going to bed 40 minutes later, but still get up
at the same time as usual the next morning.

If you aren't asleep after lying in bed about 40
minutes, you may want to get up and read or watch
TV a short time before trying again.

If your mind is racing with thoughts, it may help
you to write them down-a to do list for the next
day. Some people swear by this. (For me, I just
get more stimulated if I try this one.)

The environment

If you live with someone, agree that after a
certain time, such as 10 p.m., you and your
family do not discuss disturbing matters.

Adjust the room temperature so you can
comfortably sleep.

Besides establishing a routine and adjusting your
environment's temperature, you can buy some sleep aids to
set the stage for blessed sleep.

Items You Can Purchase

Pillows:Today we have a wide variety to choose
from. Don't let $10-$40 stand in the way of sleep! I have
a closetful of pillows tried, pillows of the past.
Failures and the few that make it worthwhile.

Ways to Mask Sound

Dog next door barking? Other family members still up,
talking, watching TV, and so on? I'm a light sleeper.

For several years, I slept with a box fan on nightly
(summer or winter) in Illinois. I slept with my head
under the covers to keep warm, the tradeoff I made to
have the fan block noise. I even took that fan with me a
few times when I traveled by car.

I was grateful to finally get a white noise machine.
After trying a few of those, I will tell you the brand
that works for me: Marsona 1250, ordered through the J.C.
Penney catalog.

One model offers these sounds: two types of sea and
two of rain (rhythmic or steady), waterfall, crickets,
running water. You can adjust the volume, tone, and rate,
and use a timer if you do not want it on all night.
Another excellent choice, especially for traveling, is a
smaller version of this machine that also has a clock and
alarm (model TSC-350).

Issue # 7
Tuesday, Dec. 16, 1997

Overcoming
Sleep Disorders

Osteoporosis

Stats indicate that for those over
the age of 50, one of every two women and one in eight
men will have an osteoporosis-related fracture. Our
sedentary lifestyle puts us at risk for this disease. Yet
osteoporosis is not inevitable. Here's some information
on this disease and how we can prevent it.

Part 1 of 4
- - details the likelihood of developing
this disease, and its dangers and consequences.

Part 2 of 4
- - presents the risk factors of
osteoporosis and some of our misconceptions about the
disease.

Part 3 of 4
- - insights into diagnosis, and basic
management techniques.

Part 4 of 4
- - new medical treatments to stop
osteoporosis, and safety in the home of osteoporosis
sufferers.